


A Christmas Miracle

by luckylyanna



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Anger, Arguing, Car Accidents, Chidbirth, Children, Christmas, Crying, Discussions of Forced Miscarriage, Drama, Family focused, I hope this is all of them, Insecurity, Jealousy, M/M, Mpreg, Multi, Neo-Paganism, Past Child Abuse, Past Domestic Violence, Past Rape/Non-con, Polyamory, Read the notes just in case, Self-Esteem Issues, Service Dogs, Sibling Rivalry, Soulmates, This is the fic that's gonna get me killed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-08-10 11:33:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20134783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luckylyanna/pseuds/luckylyanna
Summary: Life after the cult hadn't been easy, but Jace and his family were slowly making it through. This year, they celebrate Christmas.





	A Christmas Miracle

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE READ!!!
> 
> A Christmas fic in August? Groundbreaking. 
> 
> Alright, folks, before we start, I need to give you some context so you know why some things are happening the way they are.
> 
> 1\. The whole family used to be a part of a cult, but after Valentine's death, Jace took his family out of there and they now live in the 'normal' world. 
> 
> 2\. Valentine raised Jace and Sebastian as siblings, believing Jace was his son by blood, but at some point it was revealed that Stephen Herondale had raped Celine, which resulted in Jace. Jace remained the heir of the cult by marrying Sebastian and mating Clary. 
> 
> 3\. Alec is Valentine's biological son, which makes him Sebastian and Clary's half-brother. 
> 
> 4\. Sebastian changed his name from Jonathan when he married Jace, because it would have been weird to have two Jonathan Christopher Herondale that are married to each other. 
> 
> The role of Connor is 'played' by Idris Elba. 
> 
> For the French words:
> 
> Maman means Mom
> 
> Mémé means Grandma 
> 
> 'Mon petit muffins' means 'My little muffins' 
> 
> Tonnerre means Thunder 
> 
> Neige means Snow 
> 
> Nuage means Cloud
> 
> This is an ABO fic that features Male Pregnancy, which makes it very controversial and 'problematic'. If this isn't something you're into, please don't read, and don't bother leaving nasty comments. 
> 
> This is mainly a Sebastian/Jace fic, but Alec and Jace are still soulmates/twin flames. That's just how it is with me. 
> 
> The fic is mostly focused on family with very little sex, sorry. 
> 
> I'm absolutely not a doctor, if the medical stuff I wrote isn't accurate, don't call me out, please. 
> 
> This whole AU was created with the lovely citylightsandafastcar on Tumblr.
> 
> I think this is everything. 
> 
> ENJOY!!!

Jace’s heart filled with joy and pride as he watched his gigantic family decorate the tree that stood in the middle of their otherwise very minimalistic foyer. The sound of little feet waddling on the marble floor, mixed with laughter, echoed through the walls of the huge mansion as omegas and babies alike fussed around the tree in search for the perfect ornament or garland. 

_ It’s what they need _ , Jace thought as he continued observing the decorating process with a beer in hand, _ it’s what we all need _. 

After the terrible year they’d had, moments like these were some of the few that made them feel like a real family. Normally, celebrating Christian holidays wasn’t permitted by their religion, which worshiped the Mother Goddess first and foremost, but no one actually cared. They were free now and they could live life as they saw fit. There was no Council of Elders now to order them around like they were a bunch of pawns on a chess board. No priestesses either, to tell them what the supposed will of the Gods was. They were on their own now, a family like any other, even if a bit unconventional. Adjusting to a life outside of the cult had been hard, harder for some of them, but they would pull though, they had to. 

When Jace suddenly caught Alec’s eye, he smiled and raised his beer bottle in a toast. Alec made a face and stuck his tongue out, which indicated that he didn’t appreciate being teased like this. As much as Alec loved carrying his and Jace’s first child, he didn’t exactly like having to give up so many things he had previously enjoyed, one of which was alcohol. And as Alec neared the end of his sixth month of pregnancy, it became more and more difficult to adjust to the changes he was going through. Nevertheless, Jace was sure that neither he nor Alec or anyone else from the family had ever been happier. They were finally free of the sadist Valentine and his insane cult, all of their careers were flourishing and most importantly, they had two babies on the way.

Speaking of babies, out of the corner of his eye, Jace noticed Sebastian and Oliver rummaging through a box of old Christmas toys they’d gotten from Jace’s Maman, Céline. Jace’s heart melted at the sight. Oliver was absolutely adorable in his red Christmas onesie with two reindeers at the front and a matching pair of red booties. In his left hand Oliver was holding his beloved lamb plushie Mrs. Baa, who had once belonged to Jace himself. Atop of his messy golden curls sat a reindeer antlers headband that matched the one his Mother was wearing. Unlike Oliver, however, the antlers made Sebastian more hot than adorable. The red turtleneck he had put on specifically for the occasion drew all the attention to his sizable belly, not that at eight months that could be avoided, even with Sebastian’s height. Jace almost felt ashamed for the thoughts that went through his mind when Sebastian rubbed his bump, most likely to soothe a very active Apollonia. 

It came as no surprise to Jace to see Sebastian and Oliver decorating on their own, instead of joining the rest of the family. He was aware of the tension that existed between Sebastian and the other omegas, especially between Sebastian and Alec. Almost three years after Jace and Simon’s mating ceremony, Sebastian still couldn’t get used to the idea that he had to share Jace with someone else other than Clary. Five other someones, in fact. Jace couldn’t act like he was blameless in this situation, though. It was his negligence and irresponsible behaviour that had pushed Sebastian into running away from home in the middle of the night with a toddler in his arms and an unborn baby in his belly. The consequences of this mistake would haunt Jace for the rest of his life.

* * *

Two weeks before Christmas Jace announced that he and Alec would be going to New York to attend the wedding of a friend of his. 

“We’re leaving on the twentieth,” the Alpha informed while they were having dinner, like it was nothing. “And we’ll be back on the twenty-third.” 

The announcement was met with approval and excitement from the family, which was a relief for both Jace and Alec. Sebastian was the only one who seemed to have a problem with it. 

All of a sudden he felt a little nauseous and dizzy. His due date was fast approaching and the closer it got, the more anxious he became. Sebastian was, in many ways, ignorant in the ways of the Gods, but this, he was sure was a sign. A sign that history was about to repeat itself.

Oliver was the only child in the family whose birth Jace hadn’t witnessed. Back then Jace had been away on cult business so Sebastian had been forced to endure the pain of childbirth all alone. He had tried to hold it off as long as possible, but at the end, he had practically been pushed into the birthing room with a midwife, Clary and his Mother. Of course Jocelyn had been eager to be the first one to greet the heir of the cult into this world, and oh how disappointed she had been when a little omega baby had come out. 

Jace leaving home right now was a disaster waiting to happen and Sebastain didn’t understand how the others couldn’t see it. Most of all, he couldn’t understand how Jace could do this to him again.. After everything that had happened this summer, Sebastian had though that Jace had become more considerate, but apparently not. 

It was all because of Alec, of course. Sebastian was aware, as was everyone else, that Alec was the love of Jace’s life. Whatever threads the Gods had used to fashion their souls with, Alec’s and Jace’s were intertwined. For all of eternity, in fact. They were the same person split into two bodies. Even their breaths came in sync and their hearts beat as one, connection was visible even for those who barely knew them. 

All of a sudden Sebastian got irrationally angry. He knew he would never love or be loved in such a way, but that didn’t mean he would allow Jace to mistreat him and his children. 

“Is that wise, Master?” Sebastian wondered, respectfully using the title all Alphas in the cult received in relation to their omegas once they were mated. “Alec is six months pregnant, travelling such a long distance is not the best idea, is it?”

“Oh, we asked Dr. Mccall and he said I’d be fine,” Alec assured with a smile.”It’s not like we’d be flying anyway. It’s just two hours away, with the car.”

“Yup,” Jace confirmed, looking just as happy as his beloved. “We’ll have a mini road trip.”

“Wonderful!” Sebastian said cheerfully, even though he felt like punching his brother and husband in the face. He wasn’t sure if they were making fun of him or if they were just that clueless of what their actions were doing to him, but he knew he couldn’t look at them any longer. 

“Luke will be staying over while I’m gone,” Jace told his mates. “I know, I know, you guys are perfectly capable of taking care of yourselves and the kids, but I’d feel better if you have someone in the house who knows how to handle a gun.” 

“You should know better than anyone how good we all are at handling guns,” Magnus joked, smirking as he took a sip of his wine while the others laughed. “Still, I can’t say I’m mad that Lucian will act as our Alpha while you’re away.”

Sebastian had much more to say, but instead he stayed silent for the rest of the evening. It was obvious Jace had made up his mind and there was no changing it. He wanted some time alone with Alec and no one was capable of preventing him from having it. Not even his own child. Eventually Sebastian excused himself before he had even finished his dinner and went upstairs to sulk and cry.

It was some sick and twisted irony that the only person Sebastian could confide in these days was the person who had damaged him the most. Neither his therapist, nor Jace nor even Clary seemed to understand him as well as Jocelyn did, and that fact alone itself was worrying. But only Jocelyn seemed to understand what her son was going through. Just like Sebastian she had been cast aside after failing to do her duty and just like him now she was living in her own hell, alone. If someone had told Sebastian a few years ago that he would be driving all the way from Idris to New Jersey in a twelve-inch-deep snow just to meet with the woman who had made his life a living hell, he would have laughed in their face. 

And yet, here he was, pulling into his mother’s driveway and waddling to her doorstep so he could complain to her about how much his life sucked. 

“Sebastian?” Jocelyn Fairchild could not hide her disappointment from seeing only her son in front of her, instead of her beloved daughter. Yet she pulled Sebastian into a hug all the same, feigning the image of a caring mother. “I wasn’t expecting you at this time,” she admitted. “Did anything happen?” 

“Let’s talk inside,” Sebastian suggested after pulling away and Jocelyn instantly knew something was wrong. 

They sat at the tiny kitchen table, eating biscuits and drinking tea, chamomile for Jocelyn and rooibos for Sebastian as it was caffeine free and healthy during pregnancy. 

“Where’s Oliver?” Jocelyn asked, knowing her son wouldn’t leave without the toddler willingly. 

“Home,” Sebastian replied, staring at his wedding bracelet. “I didn’t want to risk him getting sick again, so I left him with Lydia and Quinnie.” 

“Does Clary know you’re here?” Jocelyn wondered. 

“No,” Sebastian replied, shaking his head. “No one does.” 

Jocelyn was immediately alert. “What’s bothering you, son?” she asked at last. “Why did you come here?” 

“Jace is going to New York,” Sebastian finally revealed. “With Alec. Only with Alec.” 

“By the Gods...” Jocelyn murmured, sounding about as angry and Sebastian felt. Not for his sake, of course, for her own. Jace was still supporting her financially, despite all her wrongdoings while they’d still been at the cult, and it was all for Sebastian. If Sebastian fell out of Jace’s favour, Jocelyn would lose her piggy bank, because Clary definitely wouldn’t allow her mother to take advantage of Jace like that. 

“He didn’t even think he should tell us until yesterday,” Sebastian complained, sounding defeated even to his own ears. “They made their own plans in secret without considering any of us!” 

“I knew it!” Jocelyn sneered. “I knew this would happen! All Alphas are the same!” she declared angrily. “They use you for a time until your body is no longer of service to them, and then they throw you away!” 

“Jace is not Valentine, Mother!” Sebastian stated with certainty. “But...ever since Oliver was born, I feel like he isn’t the same.” 

“Then explain to me why he’s behaving in the exact same way Valentine used to after your sister was born an omega!” Jocelyn challenged and that really left Sebastian with nothing to say. “None of this would have happened if you had given birth to an Alpha in the first place!”

Sebastian had spent countless nights watching over Oliver in his crib and wondering what their lives would have been like if the baby had been an Alpha instead of an omega. Jace wouldn’t have been pressured into taking another mate if Sebastian had done his duty from the start. And now with Apollonia on the way, it all felt like a second slap in the face from those Gods Sebastian used to trust so much. But despite the disappointment in himself, Sebastian could honestly say he didn’t love his children any less than he would have if they were Alphas. He was not Jocelyn and he would never make the mistakes she had. 

“I can’t really control what happens in my womb, can I, Mother?” He asked sarcastically, keeping his hands on his rather large belly. “If Oliver _ and _Apollonia are both omegas, it’s because the Gods willed it so.” 

“Then you must keep giving your husband children until the Gods decide to bless you with an Alpha,” Jocelyn stated as it was the most obvious solution to all of her son’s problems. 

Sebastian snorted. “By the Gods, Mother, wait until I’ve given birth before you start planning my next pregnancy, will you?” he joked, smirking slightly. “Besides, I don’t think me getting pregnant again is likely to happen anytime soon.” 

“And why not?” Jocelyn demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Jace and I…” Sebastian sighed, closing his eyes only for a moment. “We...we haven’t been intimate since...I was raped,” he confessed, forcing himself to say the words aloud like his therapist had told him to. 

“What?!” Jocelyn gasped in shock. “But why? Is he...disgusted with you?”

“No!” Sebastian replied immediately, offended by the insinuation. “No, Mother, no! I guess he just...lost his desire for me. He barely touches me nowadays and he never initiates...intercourse these days,” he explains awkwardly. “I always have to be the one to do it. And when I do...I have to please him in other ways, because he never…” 

“The solution is obvious,” Jocelyn stated after taking a short pause to think about it. “You need to reignite Jace’s desire for you.” 

“No, Mother, that’s not it!” Sebastian disagreed, shaking his head. “If I’m not in Jace’s heart, no amount of sex and no child will help me get him back. I’m losing him, Mother,” Sebastian bursted into tears once the words left his mouth and he would not hide his despair anymore. “Please, help me!” 

Jocelyn had never been particularly fond of Sebastian, much less loved him. For her he had always represented her failure as Valentine’s wife and with it the humiliation she had had to endure from the man who had sworn to love her and protect her for the rest of his days, because she hadn’t been able to provide him with an Alpha heir. But seeing her son so broken, so desperate and lost, unlocked feelings in her towards him she didn’t know she had. She looked at him perhaps not as a mother, but rather as an omega, who understood another omega’s pain. She remembered very well what being in Sebastian’s place was like, and she would be damned if she let the same happen to her son. If not out of love then, out of pride. 

Jocelyn left the room without a warning only to return a few minutes later with a little vial in her hand. The vial contained brown-ish liquid that Sebastian thought seemed familiar. He’d assumed she’d left, because she couldn’t stand his crying, so when she came back, he was genuinely surprised.

“What’s this?” he asked as his Mother handed him the vial. 

“The solution to your problems,” Jocelyn replied, crossing her arms over her chest. 

Sebastian gave her a look full of distrust. She had never cared about his problems before, though it did make sense she’d want to help _ now _when her future was on the line. 

He opened the vial and sniffed at it in an attempt to figure out what was it that his Mother was giving him.

_ Black Cohosh, _Sebastian realized when he finally remembered where he knew the smell of it from. Sebastian had seen the midwives at the cult using it whenever they thought a pregnancy had to be terminated and he himself had considered using something similar several times. This potion was meant to cause miscarriage.

“Mother…” Sebastian let out a breath, the word alone containing all the shock and disgust he was feeling. His hand remained firmly pressed to his belly as if he was subconsciously trying to protect Apollonia from whatever crazy ideas his Mother had. “I told you already, I’m not having an abortion! It’s too late anyway.”

“It’s not for you!” Jocelyn informed him quickly. “It’s for Alec!

“Alec’s not having an abortion either, Mother,” Sebastian stated obliviously. It took him a moment to realize what Jocelyn had actually meant. “No…” he breathed out in horrified realization. “I can’t do that, Mother!”

“You don’t have a choice!” Jocelyn snapped at him. “You must do what is necessary in order to ensure your children’s future, like any mother who loves their children would.”

“First of all, how would you of all people know what a loving mother would do?” Sebastian wondered sarcastically. “And second, Orion is not a threat to Oliver or Apollonia’s future! He’s Jace’s third Alpha son, for the Gods’ sake!” 

“Maybe, but he’s also the son of Jace’s most beloved mate,” Jocelyn reminded, fully aware of how much these words hurt her son. “Who’s to say what might happen tomorrow? Who knows what your life would look like five years from now? You must act now, to ensure that what belongs to your children is not someday stolen from them.” 

Sebastian clenched his jaw to stop himself from crying again. “Mother, what you’re saying is completely nonsensical,” he insisted. “Even if one day Jace really was to cast me aside and divorce me, Oliver and Apollonia would still be his children. That would never change, not legally, not emotionally, not in any other way,” he said with confidence, because at least he was sure that was the truth. “And besides, Alec has never been money-hungry.”

“Maybe not Alec, but Maryse certainly has been,” Jocelyn stated. 

“Maryse doesn’t have a say in what happens in our family or in our company,” Sebastian snapped. “And neither do you. And let’s not pretend you’re that concerned about my children. You just hate Alec.”

“Don’t you?” Jocelyn wondered. 

The question caught Sebastian off guard and he needed a moment before responding. 

Alec’s arrival at the Herondale household way back when they had still been in the cult had, in Sebastian’s own mind, marked the end of his happiness. Ever since the night of Alec and Jace’s mating ceremony, Sebastian’s life had turned into hell, and into a hell of his own making, at that. Looking back on it now, he could see what a selfish, lonely bitter and jealous person he had become. He could no longer recognize the face that stared back at him in the mirror. Those bloodshot eyes, full of tears and resentment, were not the ones Jace had fallen in love with and Sebastian could only mourn that young, happy, energetic omega he had been once. Oh, and what sick, twisted irony it was that his happiest days had turned out to be those he had spent in that wretched cult. 

“I...I don’t know,” Sebastian admitted at last. “But I do know he’s my brother, and the child he’s carrying is my nephew. Blood of my blood. I cannot cause them harm. I’ll lose Jace forever that way.” 

Jocelyn gave Sebastian a look full of disappointment and resentment. This time, however, he didn’t look away in shame or guilt, and stared right back at her. 

“I’m not the monster you think I am,’ Jocelyn defended herself. As the words left her mouth one by one, her expression seemed to change in an instant. She went from looking like she wanted to kill Sebastian with her eyes alone, to breaking her son’s heart with a glance only. “I’ve always tried to do what’s best for you and your sister.”

“You certainly have a strange way of showing it,” Sebastian commented bitterly. 

“I tried to convince your Father not to give you to Jace!” Jocelyn stated in her own defence. “I knew this life wasn’t for you!”

“Yeah, because Brandon Blackthorn would have been such a good husband,’ Sebastian rolled his eyes. The name of his rapist tasted like poison on his tongue, but somehow he knew he was healing. ‘And besides, I loved Jace...I still do...If I had married anyone else, I would have ended up just like you!”

Jocelyn let out a bitter laugh. “I loved your Father once,” she revealed as if that meant something now. “No less than you love your Jace now, but that is the terrible truth of the matter. Life changes us despite our will. What might have been the truth yesterday, may not be the truth tomorrow, which is why you need to secure your future!” 

Sebastian sighed in exhaustion. Part of him knew his Mother’s Machiavellian approach was somehow reasonable, given the current situation, but he also knew nothing could justify the murder of his unborn nephew. There was no coming back from something like that. Nevertheless, he took the potion with the intention of using it against his Mother in case she decided to try something. 

On his way out Sebastian promised himself to never ever ask Jocelyn for anything ever again, especially advice on marriage. And even though he knew his promise probably wouldn't stick, he left that house feeling like a victor.

Sebastian didn’t go home immediately afterwards. He couldn't. He needed some time away from the madness of their home, from the noise of children and from the pressure to be okay. So he pulled over near one of the dog parks Jace had taken him to when they’d come to visit his Maman, who also lived in this area. 

As soon as he stopped the car, Sebastian gave himself permission to break down. Loud pitiful sobs filled the vehicle, but he couldn't bring himself to care. For once he could cry without people worrying about him and asking him why. In all honesty, Sebastian wasn’t sure exactly why he was crying. It wasn’t like he was going to take his Mother up on her offer, so his conscience was clear. And yet the feeling of being crushed under all his troubles was almost unbearable and he needed an outlet. If only his Father could see him now. Surely Valentine Morgenstern would want to return to the grave if he witnessed his son crying in the car like a little bitch, because he wasn’t as loved as he thought he deserved to be. A sense of victory washed over Sebastian when he realized he had become the opposite of what Valentine had wanted him to be. Despite his jagged edges Sebastian was a typical omega, loving, nurturing, soft, needy for his Alpha’s love. He possessed all the qualities Valentine had tried to get him rid of and that alone was a reason for pride. However, as Sebastian came to find out, victory over a dead man meant nothing when his own life was falling apart. 

Unsurprisingly, crying his feelings out was incredibly therapeutic and after he was done, Sebastian felt calmer and somehow lighter than he had in a long time. His problems no longer seemed so daunting and he could look at what was happening more clearly. For a while Sebastian just sat there, staring off into the empty space, enjoying the silence. His head was empty and he loved the peace and freedom that came with that. 

Sebastian was startled, however, when his heavenly peace was interrupted by a loud knock on his ice-covered window. 

“Ms. Montclaire!” Sebastian gasped when he saw Jace’s Mother standing by his car. Next to her Sebastian noticed a furry black figure that he recognized as her service dog–a black German shepherd named Tonnerre. Sebastian quickly unlocked the car and let them both in. 

Céline Montclaire was the proud Mother of her one and only angel, Jace and and the owner of the successful bakery called _ My Angel _. She also the loving grandmother of his soon-to-be eight children. In addition to that, she was the dutiful owner of three dogs that adored her no less than her son and grandchildren did. 

There were many things Sebastian was unsure of, but one thing he knew without a doubt was that Céline was a better mother to him and Clary than Jocelyn had ever been. Her presence brought peace and light in their home and as far as Sebastian was concerned, she was an angel sent from above. When she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in her loving, motherly embrace, he knew everything would be alright. 

“Hi, darling!” Céline greeted with a smile after he pulled away. “How are you? What are you doing here? Is Mon Ange with you?”

Sebastian chuckled, amused by her excitement. “No, he’s at work. I’m on my own.”

Céline raised both her eyebrows in shock. “On your own? In this condition? Darling, don’t you know how dangerous this is? You could give birth any moment now!”

“There’s nothing to worry about, Ms. Montclaire,” Sebastian assured. “I’m not due for another month. Everything’s fine.”

“Darling, little ones rarely take into consideration the plans of adults when it comes to matters like these,” Céline informed. “Or any matters really. And what have I told you about calling me ‘Ms. Montclaire’?” 

Sebastian blushed. “Sorry, Maman Céline,” he apologized. “So...what has been going on with you? Are you well? Master told us your therapy has been going very well.”

All of a sudden Céline looked like she had been slapped. “Master…” she breathed out in shock. “Do you still call Jace that?” 

Sebastian cringed. The word slipped out without him thinking about it. “It’s difficult to get used to calling him by his name.” 

“Why?” Céline demanded and Sebastian knew he didn’t have an answer for that. “You used to do it all the time when the two of you were little.” 

“Yes, well, he wasn’t my husband then,” Sebastian reminded. No, Jace had been his brother for most of their lives and now their siblings rivalry seemed like the least complicated part of their relationship.

“What changed?” Céline wondered. 

“Everything…” Sebastian admitted at last. “Everything…” 

Céline let out a sigh. She reached over and put her hand on top of Sebastian’s. “Listen, darling...I...I’m fully aware that even though I make you call me ‘Maman’ I’m not your–”

“You’re the only real parent I’ve ever had,” Sebastian interrupted her before she had even finished her sentence. “And these aren’t just words,” he assured her. “It’s the truth. You know that.”

“I do,” Céline confirmed with eyes full of compassion and Sebastian was sure that wasn’t just plain pity. As a victim of domestic abuse, she could sympathize with him better than most. “And as your Maman, I need you to know that I’m not stupid.” 

The statement visibly caught Sebastian by surprise. ‘What...what do you mean?” 

“Well, for starters your eyes are bloodshot,” Céline informed him. “And you sat alone locked in your car miles away from home. Plus, I seriously doubt you came here just for the Pork Roll,” she smirked at her own joke. “So I can only conclude you came here to see someone you thought you could talk to. Is that correct?” 

“I wanted to see how my Mother was doing,” Sebastian only half-lied, sighing as there was no point in hiding. “She broke her leg, you know.” 

“Yes, I did pay her a visit a few months ago after she left the hospital,” Céline informed with a tone of her voice that let Sebastian know she wasn’t fooled at all. “Listen, honey,” she sighed, squeezing Sebastian’s hand in her own. “There’s nothing wrong with needing advice and looking for it, but it seems to me you were looking for it at the wrong place.”

Sebastian snorted. “My own fault for expecting anything from her.” 

“You hoped she’d understand,” Céline said aloud what Sebastian couldn’t utter. ‘That she’d care. Whatever she is, she is still your Mother, after all.” 

Those words set Sebastian off and he started crying again, unable to hold the tears in. For the first time in his life he felt like there was someone who understood what he was going through and that proved to be overwhelming. At last there was someone knew what he was going through. At last there was someone who cared without judging.

“I can’t promise you that tomorrow you’ll be in any less pain,” Céline admitted, her own voice full of tears. “Or that whatever you’re going through will disappear overnight. But I can tell you, without a shadow of a doubt that one day you _ will _ be okay. I know from experience that time heals all wounds. It turns even the most vivid memories into distant visions. Those who have wronged you the most are gone from this world and you’re here. Alive and strong and with a loving family behind your back.”

Sebastian would beg to differ about the last part, but he didn’t want to interrupt Céline’s beautiful speech.

“If you manage to find strength within you and don’t allow this trauma to ruin you, someday none of this would matter anymore,” Céline went on. “Eventually the smile on your face will become genuine. You’ll have a happy and fulfilling life and you’ll watch your children grow while these bastards rot in the ground. Now, doesn’t that sound wonderful?” 

Sebastian couldn’t hold back an amused smirk. He had never heard Céline use profanities before. Her words were like a balm on his mind and heart. In the end he couldn’t help but hug her close and let her hold him for a little while. 

Clary was onto him as soon as her brother returned home. She came out in the freezing cold wearing only a tiny skater dress and a cardigan that was several sizes too big on her. 

“Where have you been?!” she demanded before Sebastian could even come out of the car. “Oliver has been asking for you all morning!” 

“Is that my cardigan?” Sebastian asked in order to divert his sister’s question. As soon as they entered the house, they were greeted by Oliver’s pitiful and very loud cries that came from the second floor.

“By the Gods!” Sebastian exclaimed and hurried upstairs, along with Clary.

They found Oliver in the playroom, red-faced, tears running down his cheeks and his hair a mess. He was holding Mrs. Baa with his left hand and in his right hand Sebastian could see a toy horse that had been chewed on. The sight made Sebastian feel like the worst mother in the world.

Despite his aching knees and swollen ankles, Sebastian instantly rushed to his baby’s side and picked him up

“Mama!” the toddler sniffled once he was safely back in his mother’s arms, nuzzling Sebastian’s cheek. His mood improved immediately and Sebastian thought he’d heard Lydia sigh in relief in the background.

Oliver was growing bigger by the day while Sebastian wanted him to stay that prematurely born baby the midwife had placed in his arms almost three years ago.

“Mama’s here, baby!” Sebastian assured, kissing Oliver’s head. “I told you I’d come back really soon, didn’t I?” he asked his son. “So why weren’t you a good boy for Mama Clary and Mama Lydia?” 

Oliver said nothing, simply staring at his mother with those big blue eyes of his, as if blaming this whole mess on Sebastian for leaving him in the first place. Which, to be fair, wasn’tt all that far-fetched.

“I’m sorry, Lydia,” Sebastian apologized. “I had no idea it would take me so long to get back home.” 

“You owe me one,” Lydia stated, glaring at Sebastian as she walked away with Quinn in her arms. 

Sebastian sighed and headed back to his room as well.

  
  


Not even twenty minutes later Clary decided to come back and bother him again. Sebastian was peacefully lounging on his bed while Oliver played with Mrs. Baa next to him when Clary entered the room without even knocking. 

When he heard her enter without a warning Sebastian jumped up and his eyes snapped open. 

“By the Gods, Clary!” he exclaimed in shock. “Haven’t you heard of knocking?! I could have been indecent!” 

Clary rolled her eyes. “Nothing I haven’t seen before.” 

“Hiii!” Oliver beamed when he saw his aunt, waving at her. 

“Well, hello there!” Clary smiled. “You’re in a good mood now aren’t you?” Oliver looked much happier than he had been minutes ago and it was all thanks to Sebastian’s presence.

“Yeh!” Oliver confirmed without shame. 

Clary laughed and sat on the bed before pulling him into her lap. 

“What do you want, Clary?” Sebastian asked, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Where were you today?” Clary asked directly as she always did. “And don’t say at therapy, because I called your therapist and she said she hasn’t seen you in two weeks!” 

“Clarissa Adele Herondale!” Sebastian gasped in outrage, even though he knew he was the one who had made a mistake in this case. “Have you no shame?! How dare you call my therapist and ask about me as if I’m a child!” 

“I wouldn’t have to do that if you weren’t behaving like a child!” Clary stated unapologetically. “And now you’re proving my point by refusing to tell me where you’ve been!” 

“I don’t owe you an explanation!” Sebastian told her. 

“It’s not about you owing me an explanation,” Clary stated. “It’s about you lying straight to our faces with no remorse. I think Jace has a right to know he’s wasting his money by sending you to therapy, don’t you?” 

“Clary, don’t you dare!” Sebastian warned. 

“Tell me where you went then!” Clary ordered fiercely. “And don’t lie, because I’ll know!” 

“I went to see Mother,” Sebastian revealed, avoiding his sister’s gaze out of shame. 

“What for?!” Clary wondered. “Were you suddenly feeling too confident?” she snorted. 

“No, I went to see how she was doing,” Sebastian lied. “I wanted to make sure she was recovering well.” 

“Seb, she broke her leg months ago,” Clary reminded, rolling her eyes. “So don’t bullshit me.” 

“Fine...I...I needed some reassurance, so I went to talk to her,” Sebastian revealed at last. 

“What the hell would you need reassurance from her for?” Clary questioned, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. 

“It’s stupid,” Sebastian dismissed easily. “And would you stop cursing in front of my child?!” he asked her, even though Oliver didn’t seem too bothered by his aunt’s profanities. 

“Just tell me, Sebastian!” Clary ordered. She had no more patience for his dramatics and his desire to behave like a martyr. 

“I don’t want Jace to go to that wedding,” Sebastian confessed at last. “I have this feeling that something terrible is about to happen. It’s the same feeling I had before Oliver was born and I don’t want Jace to miss Apollonia’s birth too.” 

Clary sighed. Those were legitimate concerns, she had to admit. “Have you told Jace about this?” 

“No,” Sebastian replied, shaking his head. “I don’t want him to think I’m trying to manipulate him or trying to cause problems again.” 

“You know very well Jace would never ignore your legitimate concerns so he could go get drunk and party,” Clary stated. “Talk to him, or I will!” she warned and Sebastian had no doubt in his mind that she was telling the truth. 

Sebastian woke up from a long nap a changed person. On the way home from Jersey he’d thought about Celine’s words and realized just how right she was. Ever since Simon had joined their family way back in the cult, Sebastian had spent every waking moment wishing things would go back to the way they were before. And the rape had only made it worse. He’d locked himself in the prison of victimhood where hope didn’t shine and he hadn’t seen the harm he was doing to others. He wasn’t hurting them with fists and belts as Valentine had done to him, but his cold behaviour, jealousy and overprotectiveness were hurting everyone around him. Especially Oliver, who was on his way to becoming one of those selfish kids that everyone hated. It was time for this to stop. He had to start living in the present and accept that this was his life now. He was Jace’s only legal spouse, but he also shared Jace’s love with six other omegas. And they were all parents to eight children. He had no right to ruin their childhood as Valentine had done to him. 

At dinner everyone noticed the sudden change in Sebastian’s behaviour. Unlike Clary and Alec he had never been good with words, genuine smiles and concern for others let the rest of the family know something inside Sebastian had snapped. His joy was cut short, however, when Jace called him in his office to talk after dinner. 

When Sebastian stepped (or rather, waddled) in the spacious office that he had helped decorate, the first thing he did was to bow, unable to get rid of this habit that easily. 

“You wanted to see me, Master?” He kept his head down until Jace lifted up his chin, making their eyes meet. They were standing only a breath apart and that allowed Sebastian to see the traces of red lipstick on the side of Jace’s neck, the sure sign of lovemaking, most likely left by Izzy or Clary.

“You wanna sit?” Jaca offered, gesturing towards the white sofa that stood by the window. “Your feet probably hurt.” 

They did. “It’s okay,” Sebastian assured, shaking his head. “Why did you call me here?” 

“Maman called me on my way home,” Jace revealed without directly answering the question, but that was all Sebastian needed to know. “Said she saw you in Jersey today and asked me how things between us were going lately. Do you know what I said to her?” 

Sebastian shook his head in response. 

“I told her I didn’t know,” Jace informed rather calmly. “What _ is _ going on between us, Sebastian?” Suddenly his mismatched eyes filled with anger and disappointment and Sebastian wanted the ground under him to open and swallow him whole. “Can you tell me, because I have no idea!” 

“Master, I…” Sebastian tried, but Jace quickly cut him off by grabbing the omega’s face with both his hands.

“There was a time when I could tell what you were thinking just by looking at you,” Jace stated bitterly. “Now I could spend hours talking to you and still have no idea what exactly is going on in that head of yours,” Jace stated bitterly. 

“Whose fault is that?” Sebastian asked sarcastically. 

“Both of ours!” Jace replied. “We both made some mistakes along the way, but I always thought our love was stronger than whatever life threw at us.”

Sebastian’s heart melted instantly. He had always been susceptible to Jace’s sweet talk. “Do you really believe that?” 

“I did, at least,” Jace admitted with a sigh. “Some time ago.” 

“But no longer?” Sebastian questioned, sensing what was coming. They’d had a similar conversation not long ago, at this very office about the very same issue. 

“I just wanna know what I did to make you hate me so much,” Jace revealed. “I wanna know what I did so wrong.” 

“I don’t hate you,” Sebastian said through tears, shaking his head. “I love you! I love you so much I feel like I would drown in the love I feel for you. That’s the problem!” 

“How is that a problem?” Jace questioned in exasperation. 

“My love for you makes me selfish!” Sebastian explained. “I want you all to myself and our family! It makes me despise anyone who is between us. And before you say anything, I want you to know I’m working on it.” 

“Working on it?” Jace snorted, rolling his eyes. “Is that why you’re not going to your therapy sessions? Is that why you’re going to your Mother’s place behind my back? Is that why you’re refusing to tell me the truth after promising to do so a million times?” 

“WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY?!” Sebastian demanded and his voice was heard all the way in the living room where the others were having playtime before bed.

“What is going on with you!?’ Jace demanded at last. “Why are you acting so weird? What are you hiding?!” 

“Nothing!” Sebastian replied, offended that his husband didn’t believe him. “I’m not hiding anything!” 

“Then why did you meet up with your Mother without telling any of us?” Jace questioned. “What, is she cooking up a new scheme or something? Or is she just sticking to slandering me?” 

_ She’s doing much worse, _Sebastian thought, but he did not say it. “No!” he assured instead. “We just talked, alright? That’s it. I just needed some advice.” 

“From Jocelyn?” Jace snorted. “Really?” 

“I...I didn’t know who else to turn to,” Sebastian admitted, avoiding Jace’s eyes in shame. Only now did he realize just how stupid of an idea this had been. 

“Well, how about your therapist?” Jace suggested rather sarcastically. “Or one of your siblings? Or me! Why didn’t you turn to me?!” 

“Because it’s about you!” Sebastian confessed finally. “Every joy and every sorrow in my life is about you! Don’t you get it, you moron?!” 

Jace stepped into Sebastian’s space again and held him by the forearms, making Sebastian’s poor heart jump. To anyone else Jace’s behaviour might have seemed aggressive, but Sebastian found it sexy more than anything. It wasn’t often that Jace asserted his dominance in such a physical way, but when he did, it was hot as hell. 

“Marriage is about sharing joys _ and _ sorrows,” the Alpha stated. “I married you, because I was willing to share both with you. Now tell me, with simple words, no more games, what is going on with you?”

Sebastian let out a heavy sigh. He knew there was no point in hiding anymore and frankly, he felt ridiculous. He lowered his eyes, looking at the ground instead of at Jace. “I don’t want you to go to New York,” he revealed. “My due date is in a month and I’m afraid you’ll miss it again. And before you say anything, I know the first time wasn’t your fault.”

“That’s it?!” Jace concluded in utter bewilderment. “You think I’d do something like this to you for the second time?” 

“I don’t think you’d do it on purpose,” Sebastian assured. “But you know how the Gods like to play games with us. Who knows what might happen while you’re away? I might go into labour while you’re not here! You might get into an accident or something! I know I sound paranoid, but...I can’t help it.” 

“No, you’re right,” Jace admitted. He let of of Sebastian’s arms and pulled him into a loving embrace instead. “You’re absolutely right, I didn’t even think about that. I’m so sorry, Seb.” 

“I just wish you and Alec had discussed it with us before making these plans,” Sebastian said, feeling content in his Master’s arms. Despite the height difference between them, he had no problem lowering himself to Jace’s level so that he could feel safe in the arms of the man he loved most in this world. 

Jace understood exactly what these words meant. Almost a year after Jace and Alec’s mating ceremony, Sebastian was still the most jealous of the relationship his younger brother had with Jace. 

“I want you to know, we didn’t do it on purpose,” the Alpha explained. “We were just...excited. Alec has never been to New York, that’s why. But we’ll go some other time.” 

“No, Master, you have to go,” Sebastian insisted, having a sudden change of heart. “You’ve made a promise.”

“Seb…” Jace let out a prolonged sigh, shaking his head. “You just gave me some very legitimate reasons to stay and now you’re telling me to go? I really don’t know what’s going on with you, buddy…”

“I just…Just promise me you’ll be there when Apollonia is born,” He begged Jace desperately. “That’s all I want, nothing more. I need you there with me.” 

“Of course I’ll be there,” Jace assured in a whisper. He cupped Sebastian’s face in his hands and kissed him. When their lips touched Sebastian swore he had seen heaven on earth. “I wouldn’t miss our baby’s birth for the world.”

“But the God–”

“Fuck the Gods!” Jace interrupted before Sebastian had even finished his last word. “Neither them, nor anyone else would stop me from being there for you,” he promised, smiling as he held Sebastian’s face still., 

Sebastian smiled back even though he could feel tears of joy building up in his eyes. This was all he had ever wanted. This closeness...this honesty, this love, it was like those innocent teenagers hadn’t died after all. 

This time it was Sebastian who initiated the kiss and the one after that also, and the one after it as well until they were too many to count. 

It took a bit of convincing, but eventually Jace did agree to attend the wedding after all. It did help his penis was in Sebastian’s mouth when that happened, though. Sebastian knew it wouldn’t be fair to keep Jace from doing what he wanted, because of some irrational fears of his. As they were sending Alec and Jace off and five little voices screamed “BYE, DADA!” Sebastian told himself he wouldn’t worry. 

When on December the twenty-second Sebastian heard from the forecast that were was a huge snowstorm coming in New York, he told himself he wouldn’t worry. When on the twenty-third Jace still called to tell them that he would take longer to come home than expected, Sebastian told himself he wouldn’t worry. However, when Sebastian woke up on Christmas Eve to excruciating pain from his navel to his pubic area seemingly tearing his insides apart, he told himself it was time to worry.

_ Sebastian could hear his own heartbeat ringing in his ears like a drum that wouldn’t be silenced. His hands were shaking and his knees felt like they would give out any moment now, but somehow the anger and hatred running through his body seemed to sustain him and give him the energy he needed to keep going. At first he was surrounded by mist, unaware of where exactly he was, but as the mist cleared out he realized he was standing on a bridge. The true shock for Sebatian came when he saw Jace standing in front of him, holding a sword. They were both holding swords, in fact, and Sebastian didn’t need any military training to know this was a fight to the death. He wanted to scream and pinch himself so that he may wake up, but he couldn’t. He wasn’t himself here, at least not the version of himself he knew. He was someone new, someone darker. This person had nothing to lose so he lived like every day was his last day. And as he charged he felt like that day might as well be today. _

_ Sebastian wanted to scream. Hurting Jace was the last thing he’d want to do, whether in a dream or in real life. _

_ “Ready to find out who the best J.C. is?” he heard Jace tease and before he knew it, it was on. _

_ J.C. Jonathan Christopher. Sebastian had renounced that name the day he had married Jace and he had never looked back. Once upon a time he would have been up for such a fight, but not now. Only he didn’t have a choice in the matter. His body was moving beyond his control, his blade clashing with Jace’s and he had no way of stopping it. _

_ “I trusted you when I was at my weakest,” Izzy said to him, somehow appearing out of nowhere. “At my lowest–and you betrayed me.” _

_ Sebastian couldn’t understand what Izzy was talking about. She was holding his wrist in a tight grip with her whip and throwing accusations just long enough for Jace to raise up on his feet and sneak up on Sebastian. He didn’t even realize what had happened at first until he tasted blood in his mouth. The sword went through his back so swiftly that he didn’t feel it until it reached his heart. It was the tiniest poke and yet it pierced him all the same. _

_ “That spot on a man’s back,” Jace said, breathing heavily. “Father showed it to me too.” And with that he pushed Sebastian off the bridge. _

_ The only thing Sebastian could think of as he was falling down was the look of disgust and resentment on his husband’s face as he sent him to his death. That hurt most of all. The fall seemed to last forever, yet it was over in a mere moment. His eyes snapped shut before his body had reached the freezing waters of the river that sat beneath the bridge. _

Sebastian woke up crying and with a searing pain in his lower abdomen. The pain was familiar and he knew exactly what it was indicating, but he chose to ignore it for now. 

_ False alarm _, he told himself, trying to believe that it was the truth. Nothing would happen before Jace came home, right? Surely the Gods didn’t hate him that much. 

The sheet underneath him was soaked in sweat and in his crib Oliver was whimpering in distress, most likely woken up by his Mama’s shouting, so Sebastian forced himself to get out of bed, even though every cell in his body was telling him to stay put. Thankfully, it was still quite early and most likely no one had heard him. 

Sebastian got rid of the soiled sheet and replaced it with a clean one before returning to bed, along with Oliver in his arms. The toddler was mostly calm now, easily comforted by his Mama’s gentle touch. They climbed into bed together and snuggled until they were called downstairs for a meal. 

Breakfast was an unusually quiet affair. It would seem Sebastian was understandably not the only one who hated Jace’s absence at the table. Even the babies looked miserable, no doubt missing their beloved Dada. Jace was a young Father, but he was also a natural with children. Truth be told, he was half a child himself, a fact best proven during playtime with five toddlers who followed him like tiny ducklings. 

“Any news from Master?” Sebastian asked as he looked down at his half-eaten waffles, unable to make himself sound any less desperate than he actually was. 

“Nothing new,” Clary replied, shaking her head. “He texted me last night and said to give everyone his love.” 

“Yes, but did he say when he was coming back?” Sebastian wondered. 

Clary glared at him in annoyance. “He said the same thing he told all of us last time,” she told him. “That he’d be back before dinner.”

“But how?” Sebastian questioned. “There doesn’t seem to be any chance of the weather in New York improving.” 

“I don’t know!” Clary snapped, all but throwing her fork on the table in annoyance. “He’ll figure out a way, alright?” 

“Biscuit’s right,” Magnus stated. “I mean, Maman Céline is coming over too, right? And Jersey is like fifty miles away from New York!” 

Luke, who was sitting next to Magnus, saw that Sebastian wasn’t convinced. He reached across the table and took Sebastian’s hand in his own. “There’s nothing to worry about,” he assured. “If I know Jace at all, I know that he’d be the person to defy all odds just to be with his family. 

Sebastian squeezed Luke’s fingers and smiled, feeling only a tiny bit better. 

“And if he doesn’t?” Simon wondered. “What are we to do then? Should we go to New York instead?” 

“And risk getting stuck in a snowstorm with eight kids?” Lydia snorted, easily dismissing the idea...”Better not.”

“It’s Alec I’m worried about, actually,” Izzy admitted. “You were right,” she told Sebastian. “He shouldn’t have gone to New York.”

Sebastian was way too upset to gloat about being right, which was very unlike him, but this was hardly the time. He sighed and put his fork down. There was nothing else to do now but wait. 

* * *

Céline and her dogs arrived at the Herondale mansion at noon. Her presence brought the smiles back on everyone’s faces and made them feel at peace, at least a little bit. 

“Mon petits muffins!” she cooed in French, opening her arms for a hug when she saw Noel, Ethan, Raymundo and Jared toddling towards her as soon as she was inside the house. 

None of them had any shame demanding she pick them up at the same time and she did so, despite her fragile condition. 

“No, Maman, no!” Clary protested as Simon started cleaning the dog’s paws before allowing them inside. “They’re heavy!” 

“Nonsense!” Céline dismissed, kissing each one of her grandbabies’ cheeks and making them all giggle in the process. “They’re light as a bird’s feather!” 

Clary led Céline towards the spacious living room where Celine was able to drop the babies on the sofa and have them surround her for a cuddle. 

Once Céline settled down she generously gave Clary cheek kisses as well while congratulating her on a successful first semester at the New York School of The Arts. 

“I don’t know how successful you can call it,” Clary chuckled, petting Neige, who had put his head in her lap. “I barely passed some of the exams.”

“Don’t be so humble,” Céline told her daughter-in-law as she removed Tonnerre’s vest, allowing him to play with the children at last. “Mon Ange told me how impressed your professors were.” 

“Jace has a tendency of exaggerating when it comes to me,” Clary stated. “To any of us, really.”

“Well, he’s your husband,” Céline reminded with a proud smile. “If anyone should be cheering for you, it’s him.”

“When you’re right, you’re right,” Clary smirked in agreement. “You want something to drink?” she offered. “Tea, maybe? Or cocoa?” 

“Coco!” Noel replied instead of his Mémé, making Céline laugh.

“Well, you heard him,” she told Clary. “Cocoa for everyone! With marshmallows, right?” 

“Lolos!” Jared agreed, lifting his arms up in celebration. 

“Your Mommy’s gonna kill me!” Clary told Jared, scrunching her nose at him, which made him giggle and clap his hands. 

“Why am I gonna kill you?” Magnus wondered as he entered the room with Luke following after him. 

“Cause I’m hotter,” Clary joked, making Ma. “You guys want anything from the kitchen?” 

“Nah, I’m good,” Magnus shook his head after greeting Celine.

“I’d like a vodka or two,” Luke joked. “It’s fucking freezing outside.” He knelt down to pet the dogs. “Hi, puppies!” he greeted, cooing at the adorable dogs and kissing their faces. 

“Where is everybody?” Magnus wondered as he took his scarf off. 

“Probably cooking,” Luke replied as he took a seat next to his lover. “I can smell Isabelle’s burned kafta.” He tried to take Jared in his arms, but the boy refused to be separated from his Mémé, so he clung to Céline instead.

“Oh, dear God, she’ll ruin my kitchen!” Magnus realized in horror and sprinted towards the kitchen. 

Soon enough Clary brought cocoa for everyone. 

“I put vodka in yours,” she whispered in Luke’s ear discreetly as she served them the hot beverage, earning a wink and a smirk from him, which meant he would make it up to her later. 

“Clary, dear, we’ve just been wondering where everyone was,” Céline informed her daughter-in-law. “Care to tell us?” Raymundo was dozing off on her chest, so she shifted herself slightly so that he would be more comfortable while his siblings played with the dogs. 

“Well, Izzy and Simon are cooking,” Clary explained as she handed Celine her mug. “Lydia is finishing some work stuff and Sebastian is...sulking as usual…” she said with a note of sarcasm in her voice.

Luke raised an eyebrow, “Working on Christmas Eve? That is unacceptable!” he declared as he stood up and made room for Clary to take a seat and deal with Noel, who was growing restless. ‘I’ll go distract her,” he decided. “Ma’am,” he gave Celine a curt nod and headed upstairs.

Truth be told, Luke still didn’t know how to feel or act around Jace’s Mother. He had no doubt that she was a good, kind woman, who adored her family and would do anything to protect them and that’s what scared him the most about her. Luke had no idea what Céline Montclaire thought of him. Did she approve of his relationship with Magnus? Did she consider him a threat to her son’s marriage? Did she think it was preposterous that he was spending so much time around her grandbabies? He was, after all, the brother-in-law of her rapist and that would surely result in a complicated relationship between them. But this was hardly the time to think about that. 

  


“To be honest, Sebastian was the one I was looking forward to seeing the most,” Céline admitted once Luke was gone. “I am worried about him.” 

“You’re not the only one,” Clary told her. “We’re all worried about him, but he just won’t open up. Not in front of me, not in front of Jace. You’re the only one who seems capable of talking to him.”

“I intend to do just that.” Céline said. She left the children and dogs with Clary and went to find Sebastian.

  
  
  
  


Celine knew something was wrong as soon as she laid on her son-in-law. Sebastian was in the kitchen, quietly feeding Oliver choco bunnies on his lap while Izzy, Simon and Magnus cooked. Normally the toddler was allowed no more than three of these heavenly homemade treats, but since today was Christmas eve and a terrible day in general, Oliver was allowed to eat right from the jar. 

Even in a sitting position Sebastian was visibly uncomfortable, his knees locked together under the table and his jaw clenched like he was keeping a secret. 

Determined to figure out what was happening, Celine pretended to be oblivious for the time being while she greeted the others. 

“Sorry we couldn’t come see you sooner, Maman,” Simon apologized after they pulled away from a hug. “We just had a...fire emergency,” he explained. 

“Fire emergency?” Celine gaped in shock. “What does that mean?” 

“It means Isabelle accomplished the impossible task of setting a fire in a sink,” Simon replied with a smirk that was equal parts fond and amused. 

“There’s nothing to worry about, Maman,” Izzy assured. “And for the record, it is entirely possible to _ accidentally _start a fire in the kitchen sink.” 

‘“You’ve proved that alright,” Said Simon sarcastically, rolling his eyes when Izzy made a face at him. 

“Mémé!” Oliver whined all of a sudden, displeased with the fact that he wasn’t the centre of attention. 

Sebastian tried to stand up, using the table as support so he could get to Celine, but that proved to be an almost impossible task. As soon as he was finally on his feet, though, he heard a splashing sound and he knew it was over. 

* * *

Jace had never hated the sound of his phone ringing as much as he did at this moment. This was the last thing he needed when he had such a terrible hangover coming in. He’d barely gotten any sleep last night, having decided that his time would be better spent in drinking and playing stupid games with his friends from work since there was nothing else to do here in their snow prison. 

“Phone…” Jace heard Alec mumble beside him. “Phone!” he repeated when he saw Jace wasn’t moving to get it. He turned to the other side and tried to go back to sleep, but it seemed that whoever was calling was determined not to let him. 

Thankfully for Jace, Alec hadn’t had even a drop of alcohol last night, which made it easier for him to wake up and pick up the phone. Jace fell back asleep for a moment and when he woke up it was to an almost hysterical Alec.

“Wake up!” Alec urged, mercilessly poking Jace in order to get him to wake up at last. “Jace, wake up, Sebastian’s in labour!”

Jace was instantly awake and fully sober as soon as these words reached his ears. 

“What?” He gaped, immediately sitting up. 

“Your Maman just called,” Alec informed, equally as distraught and startled as Jace felt. “Sebastian’s gone into labour. They’re taking him to the hospital.” 

Jace wasted no time getting out of bed and putting his clothes on.

“Did she say anything else?” Jace wondered as looked for his car keys frantically. 

“Just to hurry up, because Sebastian needs you,” Alec replied with a shrug. “What are we gonna do?” 

“I’m going there, of course,” Jace stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world, because it was. “You stay here and wait until it’s safe for you to travel.” 

“Like hell I will!” Alec said, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m coming with you!” 

“No,” Jace shook his head. “You can’t. It’s too dangerous for you.”

“You speak as if it’s not dangerous for you to be going out in a snowstorm at all!” Alec exclaimed in exasperation. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Jace insisted, sighing, “I have to be there. I can’t be anywhere else now.” 

“I have to be there too!” Alec shot back, glaring. “Sebastian is my brother and Apollonia is my niece! And besides, you can’t drive! You’re still drunk!” 

“Am not!” Jace claimed, frowning at the accusation. “I’m perfectly capable of driving!” 

“Even if that were true, it wouldn’t be smart for you to travel alone,” Alec stated. “C’mon, Jace, you know I’m right and you know we shouldn’t be wasting any time in stupid arguing instead of getting to my brother as soon as possible.” 

Jace shook his head, sighing. If there was one thing he knew for sure, it was that arguing with Alec was pointless. The omega was just way too stubborn and convinced that he was always right. To be fair, nine out of ten times he was, but this was the one exception. 

Jace sighed and put down the little suitcase he’d packed a few days ago. He walked over to Alec and pressed their foreheads together. 

“I want you safe,” he whispered as his found Alec’s, even with closed eyes, lacing their fingers together. “I can’t risk you. Not you. Never you.” 

“I wouldn’t risk you either,” Alec told his mate, his soulmate, before pulling him into a kiss. “Where you go, I go,” he reminded. “That’s how it’s always been and that’s how it’ll always be.” 

Jace let out an amused laugh. “You know, that’s kind of manipulation.”

“It’s true, though,” Alec shrugged. He reluctantly left Jace’s embrace, realizing there was no time to waste. “Take our bags outside,” he ordered as he rummaged through their luggage for something appropriate to wear. “I’ll be there in five.” 

Jace shook his head, but obeyed either way.

  
  


And so, half an hour later, packed and ready, and despite Jordan and Maia’s pleadings for them to stay, Jace and Alec left the hotel and headed to Idris. 

Usually, in regular conditions in was a two-hour drive, but there was no doubt today it would take them more. Every single moment mattered, which was why Alec wouldn’t let Jace drive. Getting there on time was vital, but getting there alive was crucial and Alec knew the man he loved too well to allow his impulses to lead them to an early grave.

As he watched Alec start the car, Jace had the thought that maybe Sebastian had been right after all, and the Gods really did hate them. Jace had never been a religious man, despite being raised in the way of the Old Religion just as all of them had been, but right now he needed an explanation as to why all of this was happening. As they passed miles and miles of white nothingness, Jace couldn’t help but wonder if his daughter had been born already. Had she taken her first breath yet? What colour were her eyes? Were her hands as tiny as Jace had imagined them to be? 

Eventually Jace did work up the courage to call his Maman, but not without a healthy dose of nagging from Alec. 

“Call her!” the omega urged, one hand holding the steering wheel and the other the the phone. “Call her or I will!” 

Jace sighed. “Fine, fine,” he agreed and dialed his Maman’s number. 

_ “Jace, where are you?” _ Clary’s voice came from the other end of the line instead _ . “We’ve been waiting for you, are you coming?” _

“Clary?! What are you doing with my mother’s phone?” Jace questioned in disbelief, wondering if he had called her by mistake instead. 

_ “She can’t talk right now.” _ Clary revealed. “ _ She’s in the room with Seb.” _

“How is he?” Jace questioned, clutching the phone in his hand desperately. “Has he given birth yet?” 

“_ No,” _ Clary replied _ , _ making Jace exhale in relief _ . _ “ _ But he might any moment now. They’re doing an ultrasound on him now to determine if everything’s alright with the baby.” _

Jace’s heart skipped a beat. He looked over at Alec, who looked back, immediately recognizing that something wasn’t right. 

“W-What do you mean?” Jace asked, his hands shaking as he put her on speaker. “Something might be wrong with Apollonia?” 

_ “Well, Seb had a difficult pregnancy,” _ Clary reminded. “ _ And it seems like it will be a difficult labour too. They wanna make sure she’s okay.” _

“How’s Sebastian?” Alec wondered, considerably calmer than his mate. 

_ “Slightly hysterical,” _ Clary admitted. _ “He says he won’t give birth until Jace arrives, so you better get your ass here, Herondale!” _

“We will,” Alec assured. “We’ll be there in an hour tops,” he promised. Clary gave them the name of the hospital they were in and the number of the room before hanging up. 

Alec’s words, filled with certainty, and his ability to stay calm even in such situations put Jace at ease, even for a little bit. He knew that al song as Alec was by his side, there was nothing they couldn’t overcome. He reached for Alec’s free hand and kissed it, making the omega smile. 

Alec took his eyes off the road for a mere moment, but that was enough for the car to slip on the ice and for him to lose control of it as a result. Sensing the impending doom, Jace looked over at Alec and reached for his hand. The last thought that went through Jace’s before the crash was of Alec’s and their unborn son only.

  


_ The Gods love you, Jace Herondale, _ Jace remembered a healer telling him once after he’d fallen from a seven-feet-tall apple tree and gotten away with only a bruised butt and nothing else. 

He had never believed these words more than he did at this very moment as he slowly started waking up and realized he was, in fact, still alive, even after his car had crashed into a tree. With his eyes still closed, though, and his body most likely bleeding from several places, he couldn’t help it that his mind flew to Alec as soon as he was capable of thinking straight. 

Despite the worry and the inability to do something at first, Jace knew Alec was alive. _ He isn’t dead, _ the alpha assured himself. _ If he were dead I wouldn’t be alive either. _

Moving proved difficult, though, as he felt as though his head been cracked open and someone had played with whatever little brain he had left in there. Opening his eyes felt like the most difficult task as his heavy eyelids seemed determined to keep them shut, but hearing a familiar voice woke him up at last. 

“Jace?” he heard, seemingly from a distance, but as he slowly opened his eyes the voice got closer and closer. “Jace, can you hear me?” At first he wasn’t quite certain to whom this voice belonged to, but once he opened his eyes fully, he recognized that it was Connor Huntington, his Maman’s neighbour, who was now in front of him.

“Wha–” Was the only thing that managed to come out of his mouth that currently tasted like blood and leftover alcohol. 

“Thank God you’re alright,” Jace heard Mr. Huntington say as he was still trying to get a hold of himself. “Can you walk or should I carry you?”

“Walk,” Jace replied, staring at the half-stranger in disbelief. Mr. Huntington nodded and helped Jace onto his feet before leading him out of the destroyed car. “How?” he wondered as he walked, supported by Mr. Huntington.

“Your Mom called me,” Mr. Huntington answered, holding Jace’s arm over his shoulder. “Said you weren’t answering your phone, so I went out looking for you.”

Jace had no idea how to respond. He barely knew this man and yet now he practically owed him his life. And that of Alec and Orion too. 

“Alec?” Jace asked instead of vocalizing his other thoughts for now. The walk to Mr. Huntington’s car seemed to last a few hours but when they finally got to the vehicle, he noticed Alec sleeping in the backseat. That made him let out a sigh of relief and he waddled to the passenger seat with more energy than before. 

Alec was covered by a thick blanket and there was a pillow under his head as well as under his feet. Looking at him closer Jace could see the wound on Alec’s forehead had been tended to and he wondered if Mr. Huntington was a saint or if he was just THAT much into his Maman. 

“Don’t worry, I took care of him first,” Mr. Huntington, who was now in the driver’s seat, assured. “He’s a lot tougher than he looks.” 

“Are you he isn’t in a coma or something?” Jace wondered, a thousand grim thoughts going through his head as he stared at his mate’s passive face. 

“He’s not,” Mr. Huntington reassured. “He woke up a few times and said your name.” 

“How long have we been here?” Jace questioned, holding Alec’s hand in his own, staring at the diamond ring he’d given him not that long ago. They’d left the hotel at around ten a.m. and right now it had to be the early afternoon as it wasn’t dark yet. 

“No idea,” Mr. Huntington replied, shaking his head. “But it took me at least an hour and a half to find you guys. Honestly, I don’t even know how you two are alive. Somebody up there must love you.”

Jace couldn’t help but smirk at the remark, but he was also angry with himself and with Alec. 

“Damn you, Alec!” Jace sniffled, still clinging to the omega’s hand. “I told you not to come with me! You’ve got to take us to the hospital,” he told Mr. Huntington. “To Idris Memorial, that’s where Maman and Sebastian are.” 

“Jace, I’ve called an ambulance already,” Mr. Huntington informed with a sigh. “We’ve gotta wait for them to get here.”

“We cannot waste any more time!” Jae insisted. “What if something happens to Alec? What if he needs emergency medical help? What if something’s wrong with Orion?!”

“That’s precisely why we need to stay.here,” Mr. Huntington stated firmly. “There’s nothing we can do if he needs help and by the time we reach the hospital it might be too late!” 

“I promised Sebastian I’d be there when he gave birth,” Jace revealed. “I can’t let him down again! I just can’t! I missed Oliver’s birth, I won’t miss Apolloinia’s too!” 

“That’s right, you won’t,” Mr. Huntington agreed. “You’ll be there when your daughter’s born. You’ll hold your mate’s hand and you’ll encourage him through the pain. And when you take your daughter in your arms for the first time, you’ll realize nothing that happened today matters, because you got to her,” Connor told Jace. “Now, let’s call your Mom and let her know you’re alright.”

“Okay,” Jace nodded, sniffling. “Thank you, Connor.”

* * *

When Jace called Sebastian had already been in labour for six hours. He was crying and screaming his head off, but he still refused to push. 

“I’m waiting for my husband,” he would tell the midwife when she tried to get him to start pushing and for a while she was willing to let him wait. 

But after three hours and no news of Jace, even Céline and Clary were starting to lose hope that Jace would be here in time for Apollonia’s birth. They’d known something was wrong. It had to be. Jace wouldn’t leave his family at a moment like this if something wasn’t preventing him from being at their side. Eventually Céline had called her neighbour Connor, asking him, begging him to go out and try to find her baby. He had agreed, of course, for reasons obvious to everyone but Céline herself, of course. But the more time passed, the more desperate Sebastian became. He was so distraught, in fact that at one point Clary thought he might be going insane.

Jace’s call couldn’t have come at a more perfect moment. He called from Connor’s phone, because his own was shattered into pieces. 

“It’s Connor,” Céline told Clary. “I’ll be outside,” she promised before leaving the room. 

“Connor, what happened?” Céline asked, answering the phone after she was at a safe distance from Sebastian’s screams. “Did you find Jace and Alec?”

_ “Maman?” _ Jace spoke at last, his voice heavy with tears. _ “Maman it’s me!” _

“Mon Ange?” the sound of her son’s voice caused Céline to burst into tears against her will. In these past few hours she had felt the same fear she had all those years ago in the infirmary room after the healers had told her the baby she had just given birth to a premature baby wouldn’t make it through the night. But then just now, Jace had managed to pull through.

“Mon Ange, where have you been?!Why aren’t you here?! Are you alright?!” Céline babbled in French, pacing around the hall nervously. 

“_ Maman, we’re alright,” _ Jace assured. _ “We’re on our way, we just...had a little accident. “ _

Céline’s breath suddenly hitched and she felt as though her legs would give out. “Accident? What accident?”

_ “Maman, I don’t have time to explain right now, I’ll tell you everything when we see each other,” _ Jace promised. “ _ Just please, please, tell me did Sebastian give birth yet?” _

“No,” Céline told Jace. “He refuses to push until you get here and...the midwife is starting to get worried. She says if they don’t start soon there might be complications.”

_ “Damn it,” _ Jace cursed under his breath. _ “Maman, can you give the phone over to Sebastian?” _ the Alpha requested. “ _ I wanna talk to him.” _

“Mon Ange, I don’t think it would be a good idea right now,” Céline admitted. “Both of you are in a very strange headspace at the moment and might end up saying something you don’t mean and hurt each other. It would be best to talk face-to-face.”

Jace sighed, realizing his Maman was right as always. _ “Fine,” _ he sighed, surrendering. _ “Just tell Sebastian that I’m on my way, and that I love him.” _

“I will, Mon Ange,” Céline promised. “Don’t worry, and just get here safely.”

“I will, Maman,” Jace assured. “I’ll be with you soon.”

As soon as Céline returned to the room, she realized she had made the right call by not allowing Jace to speak to Sebastian. She found her son-in-law exactly as she had left him-screaming, crying, on the brink of madness. Clary was sitting behind him on the bed, soothing him and trying to convince him to start pushing, but he refused. He’d been refusing for almost two hours, even though his body was more than ready to push Apollonia out into the world. 

Céline knew nothing she did would make Sebastian change his mind. All she could do was wait. But while she sat by Sebastian’s bed and listened to him scream, she found herself doing something she hadn’t done in years–she prayed. She prayed to the Gods she had forsaken more than two decades ago, the Gods who had left her on Valentine’s doorstepped like a stray kitten to be used and abused and then thrown away when she had fulfilled her purpose. But, if Celine was being completely honest with herself, those were also the Gods who had placed Jace in her arms, so saying a few prayers wouldn’t hurt, right?

Céline wasn’t sure whether the Gods had heard her or this was just a coincidence, but less than twenty minutes after she had finished her prayer, Jace arrived at the hospital, safe and sound.

* * *

He jumped out of the ambulance, reluctantly leaving Alec to the care of the medical staff and of Izzy, who was waiting for them at the hospital entrance. Despite the reassurances from Alec and the paramedics, Jace couldn’t help the lump of guilt that sat on the back of his throat as he gave Alec one last kiss before leaving. 

As Jace practically ran to Sebastian’s room that happened to be on the third floor, he wondered briefly why he was constantly forced to choose between two of his mates. Why did it always have to be Alec _ or _Sebastian? Was it really impossible to be there for them at the same time? There was enough love in his heart for both of them, for all seven of them, so why was the universe or the Gods or whoever was in charge of their fate, so determined to keep them apart?

Jace couldn’t think about this now, though. He needed to focus on Sebastian and on Apollonia. Despite all the hardships he had been though today, the thought of finally meeting his daughter excited Jace and it was what had kept him going through everything. 

When the door opened and Jace stepped inside the room, for a moment everything went silent. Even the screams that Jace had heard all the way from downstairs came to a sudden halt when the Alpha entered. Sebastian, Clary, his Maman and the midwife all stared at him like they couldn’t believe he was here, like they hadn’t believed he would make it.

“Jace!” Sebastian cried out, breaking the silence at last. He extended his arms as an unspoken plea for Jace to hug him. 

Jace walked over to the bed and sat next to Sebastian before wrapping his arms around the omega gently.

“I’m here,” he assured, resting his chin on Sebastian’s shoulder. “I’m here, I never should have left, I’m sorry!” he sobbed. 

“I made you go!” Sebastian wailed. “I wanted you to go, because I wanted you to be happy! I thought going away for a while would make it easier for you to put up with all the craziness.”

“Sebastian…” Jace started, but before he could say anything further, he was interrupted by his Maman. 

“Mon Ange..” she gently placed her hand on his shoulder. “Not now, please. It’s hardly the time.”

“You’re right,” Jace agreed easily. He kissed Sebastian’s hand, putting the topic aside for now. “Let’s go have this baby.”

Having this baby turned out to be easier and quicker than anybody had expected. Evidently, Apollonia had grown tired of being held back and was eager to arrive into the world at last.

It all happened so fast, Jace barely had any time to process it. One moment he was holding Sebastian’s hand and encouraging him to push, and the next he watched in awe as his daughter emerged into the world. 

“Push, push, push!” the midwife encouraged, supporting Sebastian’s head. “Lift your head up! See your baby come into this world!” she said just as she pulled the baby out of him.

Jace teared up as he witnessed his daughter emerge into the world finally. For a moment, when she stayed silent, his heart threatened to stop, but when she finally cried out, he allowed himself to breathe again. 

Jace watched in stunned silence as the mdwife cleaned Apollonia’s tiny body before handing her over to Sebastian. 

“My baby!” the omega whimpered, holding the baby close to his chest to give her the skin-to-skin contact she required. “Jace, look at her!”

“I am!” Jace assured through tears. “I can’t take my eyes off of her! She’s so beautiful!”

Indeed, in Jace’s own, absolutely biased opinion, Apollonia was a living angel, just like her siblings had been before her. 

“Umbilical cord,” Céline reminded, gently touching Jace’s arm. 

“Oh, yeah,” Jace sniffled, smiling before he eagerly went to umbilical cord. This was the only part that made him somewhat useful in this whole experience. 

“You wanna hold her?” Sebastian asked afterwards. He had a smile on his face that made it clear the suggestion was just a courtesy.

“Yes!” Jace replied almost desperately. This was a moment he had been dreaming of for the last six months. 

Sebastian put the little fuzzy blanket around the baby before handing her over to her father.

When Jace took Apollonia in his arms for the very first time, it was exactly what Connor had described. As soon as Jace looked at Apollonia’s face, all of his worries and pains disappeared. 

“Hi, honey!” Jace greeted through tears that were rolling down his cheeks. He had forgotten how tiny and frail newborns were. “Hi, baby, I’m your Daddy, do you know that?”

She had blond hair and when she opened her eyes, she revealed them to be matching Jace’s–one brown and one blue. 

From that moment on until his last moment on this earth Jace loved his daughter with every fibre of his being. 

His joy quickly turned into sorrow, however, when the doctor, who check up on Apollonia declared that her breathing was too weak and decided to move her to the NICU. When the nurse took her from his arms and carried her away Jace felt as though a piece of his flesh had been ripped of him instead. 

Jace, being Jace, followed his daughter to the NICU and demanded an explanation from the doctors. They told him Apollonia most likely had birth asphyxia–a condition caused by oxygen deprivation before, during or after the birth. Though it hurt, Jace wanted the truth. There was no point in lies now. 

“Everything is under control right now,” Dr. Collins assured Jace, but that was only after she had strapped Apollonia to some breathing machine and stuck a huge tube down her tiny throat. “With the treatment we’re giving her, your daughter has every chance of avoiding all possible side effects of the illness...Provided that she survives the night.”

Those words were like shards of glass right through Jace’s heart. “You’re telling me there’s a chance she might not survive?!”

“There’s always that chance, sir,” Dr. Collins informed him. “In your daughter’s case it is small, but it’s still there.”

“What...what are the potential side-effects?” Jace asked, wanting to be prepared for everything. 

“Right now we’re mostly concerned with her developing hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy,” the doctor explained. “Although most babies recover fully from both, HIE can also lead to conditions such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, developmental, learning and speech delays, visual and hearing impairments, metal health conditions–”

“Alright, I got it!” Jace interrupted her when he decided he’d had enough. 

After the doctor left, Jace didn’t know what to do with himself. He couldn’t just go Sebastian and tell him that they daughter might die less than a day after she had been born. How could he? Sebastian had only gotten to hold their little girl for less than two minutes before she had been snatched from him. And with all the trauma Sebastian had been through over the past twenty-four hours alone, Jace feared the worst could happen. 

And since he wasn’t strong enough to look him in the eye and tell him something he refused to accept himself, Jace chose to run away instead. He wandered through the hospital halls like a ghost, without direction, without purpose, without acknowledging the rest of the world around him. 

Somehow his feet still took him back to the NICU, even after Jace had been to see Alec. Thankfully, at least Alec and Orion were alright and Jace didn’t have to worry about them, even if the guilt that he couldn’t be there for them, persisted. 

Jace watched Apollonia from behind the glass that separated the NICU and the hall, trying to imagine what she would look like six months from now, a year, ten years...She was so tiny right now that she barely looked like a human at all. The diaper she had on looked huge on her and that tube they had put down her throat to help her breathe covered up her face almost entirely. 

It was past midnight when Jace felt like he could look away at last. He had spent hours gazing at his daughter, not wanting her to be alone in case these were her last moments on earth. 

All of a sudden, however, Apollonia started flailing her little limbs around as if she was trying to cry out, but the tube prevented her from doing so. 

Instantly, Jace could tell something was wrong. 

“NURSE!’ he called out immediately. ‘HELP! SOMEBODY HELP! MY DAUGHTER! MY DAUGHTER…”

Of doctors immediately rushed in and went to Apollonia’s side. Jace didn’t need to know any medical terms to know Apollonia’s condition was critical. 

However, when one of them said “We’re losing her!” Jace understood what it meant. But watch helplessly as his daughter was leaving this world right in front of him. 

“NO!” He wailed with such intensity that he could feel the stitches in this forehead coming apart. Tears came pouring down his forehead as an unimaginable sorrow wrapped itself around his heart. “MY BABY!” he cried, unable to stop his body from collapsing on the ground. “MY BABY, NO! APOLLONIA!”

And then, out of nowhere, Apollonia cried out once again, as if she had heard him on her way to heaven and decided to come back. 

The sound of his daughter’s crying prompted Jace to stand up despite the excruciating pain in his leg. And as he watched Apollonia come back to life, Jace realized he had just witnessed a Christmas miracle. 

* * *

Sebastian woke up on Christmas with a terrible headache and an inexplicable emptiness in his chest. As the drowsiness slowly started wearing off and the memories of the day before came back one by one, he realized why he was feeling like this. 

His daughter was dying...Perhaps she was already dead, and there was nothing Sebastian could do about it. Even if there was, Sebastian didn’t have the strength for it. Last night he had raged. He had screamed and he had cried before they had sedated him. Now he didn’t even have the energy to do that. His eyes were dry and his throat was sore. He had nothing else to give In the darkness Sebastian noticed Clary and Maman sitting by his bed, but to his shock Sebastian saw Alec on the bed next to him. Jace was nowhere to be seen. 

Eventually Sebastian couldn’t help but fall back asleep, surrounded by people who loved him. 

When Sebastian woke up for the second time, the world around him was different. The sun was out, the people around him were awake and his daughter was alive. 

When they first told him he didn’t believe it, thinking it might be dreaming still. Only after Jace handed her to him did Sebeastian finally allow himself to feel the happiness of becoming a mother for the second time. His heart was overflowing with love for his daughter, who, as Maman Celine had said was a spitting image of Jace. 

“I didn’t think I’d see you again,” Sebastian whispered through tears, holding his daughter’s tiny hand. “You’re my little miracle.”

Jace, who sat on the bed next to Sebastian nodded in agreement. “Miracle is right,” he agreed. “Even the doctors can’t explain how she came back to life.” 

“Did your Daddy’s screams bring you back to life?” Sebastian cooed at Apollonia, who could only yawn in response while the others laughed. “They did, didn’t they?” 

“I can’t wait to take her home!” Jace admitted, grinning. “I want the others to see her too! I’m sure they’ll love her.” 

“Everyone except for Oliver,” Clary murmured under her breath. “Does he even know having a new sister means sharing his Mama?”

“You know, now that you mention it, I don’t think he does,” Sebastian replied. “I’m kind of scared to tell him.” 

“We’ll think about this later,” Jace told his omegas. “I’m sure after what we just went through, Oliver’s tantrums might even seem enjoyable.”

Sebastian chuckled, shaking his head. In ruth, he really did miss his precious little Oliver, even his tantrums. 

“Speaking of which, does anyone know when we can go home?” Alec wondered, making no attempt to hide how annoyed he was at having to stay here one more moment.

“As soon as the doctors say you’re all fine,” Jace assured, reaching to hold Alec’s hand in sympathy. “I’m not risking it otherwise.” 

“And what about you, Mon Ange?” Celine questioned. “You tore you your stitches and your leg…” 

Jace left Sebastian’s side and went to give Celine a hug as she seemed on the brink of tears. “Maman, I’m fine!” he assured, holding her close. She was so tiny compared to him, but strong and fierce still. “There’s nothing to worry about, I swear!” 

“Maman’s right, Jace,” Alec stated and now Jace there was no getting out of this. Alec was the only person he couldn’t fool. “You’re in pain, I can tell.” 

“It’s nothing,” Jace dismissed easily. “But I’ll go get myself checked if that would make you guys feel better.” 

Sebastian didn’t need telepathic connection with Jace to know the Alpha was hurting. The wounds on Jace’s face painted a pretty good picture of his condition and his limping leg was only the grand finish. Sebastian was aware that all of this was his fault. If he hadn’t told Jace to go to that wedding despite all his reservations, none of this would have happened. 

“Guys, I’m sorry,” he spoke up at last, making everyone look at him. “I’m sorry for ruining Chiratmas.”

“Seb, what are you on about?” Jace asked in disbelief.

“We should have been home now,” Sebastian replied with a sigh. “We should have been eating gingerbread cookies and drinking eggnog, not worrying if one of might die or get an infection or suffer brain damage.”

“Shit happens,” Jace shrugged. “Especially to us. So what if things didn’t go according to plan? We’ve survived worse!” 

“Yeah, and who said Christmas has to happen exactly on the date?” Izzy wondered. “The good thing about not actually being Christians is that we can do things our way and no one cares.”

“Hmm, true,” Sebastian agreed and that put him at ease finally. “Thanks, guys...Well, at least we can we’ve had one hell of a Christmas.”

  
  
  
  
  


When the time finally came for Apollonia and Oliver to meet, Sebastian was nervous just as he had suspected he would be. Oliver had brother, of course, and he had frequently been told that soon he would have a sister as well, but Sebastian wasn’t sure the toddler knew that meant he would have to share his Mama. 

Sebastian tried to postpone the meeting as much as he could, which wasn’t difficult, because Oliver had no problem ignoring the little bundle of joy that they’d brought home from the hospital and focusing on his Mama instead. Sebastian had only been at the hospital for two days, but for both of them that had seemed like way too long. 

Once lunch was over and it was nap time, Sebastian knew there was no avoiding the inevitable anymore. Usually getting Oliver to sleep during nap time was a battle, but for once Sebastian was glad his son was not sleepy at all. He carried the toddler upstairs where Jace and Apollonia were waiting for them. 

Jace had changed Apollonia into an adorable pink onesie with matching mittens and a beanie. She was on the bed, sleeping, her little arms and feet spread wide as if she was asking for a hug. 

When Oliver saw Jace his whole face lit up and he tried to go to him. “Dada!” he squealed. 

“Hi, baby!” Jace smiled in return, kissing Oliver’s hand. “You ready?” he asked he asked Sebastian. 

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Sebastian shrugged. He carried Oliver over to the bed and put him next to Apollonia. 

At first Oliver didn’t react at all, as if the baby next to him was invisible. He was holding onto Mrs. Baa as though she was the living, breathing human being and Apollonia was the toy.

Sebastian and Jace shared a look, realizing this would be more difficult than they had imagined. 

“Baby, you remember how we talked about you getting a little sister, right?” Sebastian started cautiously. 

“Yeh!” Oliver replied. 

“Well, this is her!” Sebastian informed with a smile. “Look at her, Ollie, look how cute she is!” 

Oliver looked over at the sleeping baby, studying. her face with curiosity. “Ugly!” he declared.

Sebastian felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured on him. “What?” he gaped at his son. “She’s not ugly!” he was almost offended by the statement. “Don’t say that!” 

“Baby, it’s really rude of you to be calling your sister ugly,” Jace informed the toddler. “Don’t do that, okay?” 

Oliver pouted in confusion. He wasn’t used to being reprimanded, especially not by his Mama. 

“Look how cute she is!” Sebastian encouraged. “Just like you when you were born.” 

“Noooo!” Oliver refused to believe that he too had looked like that when he’d been born. 

“It’s true, Olly! Jace confirmed with a smile. “You looked just like this when you were born, only with less hair. “You were so tiny back then, and look at you now! You’re so big! You’re a big brother, Olly!” 

“Big Bo-Bo!” Oliver agreed, beaming. 

“Correct!” Jace confirmed. “You’re her big brother and you should always take care of her, and that includes not calling her ugly.” 

Oliver looked at his sister again as if he was trying to find the words to apologize.

“Why don’t you give her a kiss?” Sebastian suggested hopefully. “Give Apollonia a kiss, Olly!” 

Oliver leaned over and kissed Apollonia on the nose. “Lony!” he declared.

“Lony?” Sebastian chuckled. “Is that what we should call her from now on?”

“Yeh!” Oliver decided before giving Lony another kiss, this time on the cheek.

“Lony,” Jace repeated in order to affirm the nickname in his mind. “I like it!” 

“Well, I suppose it’s decided,” Sebastian shrugged. “She likes it, don’t you, Lony?”

Lony’s mouth formed a smile in her sleep as if to confirm it.

* * *

Eventually the Herondales did have the Christmas they’d been dreaming for. It happened three days after Jace, Sebastian, Alec and Lony had been discharged from the hospital, but as Izzy had said, they weren’t real Christians, so it didn’t matter. 

They exchanged gifts, ate turkey with stuffing and sang Christmas carols just like any other normal family. Although with one Alpha, seven omegas and eight kids, their family could hardly be called normal, but at the end of the day, it didn’t matter. For all their flaws and quirks and sharp edges, they were a family, a whole that no one and nothing could separate. 

  
  
  


Jace sat on the couch in the living room and watched as the rest of his family showed off their gifts and laughed, played with Tonnerre, Neige and Nuage, and drank hot cocoa. Even though Jace had gotten a brand new Ferrari GTC4Lusso to replace the car he’d lost, the most precious gift he had received this Christmas was in his arms. Lony was peacefully snuggling in her Daddy’s arms, looking up at him with those big mismatched eyes of her that promised to resemble Jace’s own as she grew up. After a while Jace carried Lony to the foyer so he could show her the tree. 

“And this one’s you, Lony,” he said, pointing to the silver angel that sat on top of the Christmas tree, purchased only yesterday by Alec who had claimed it had reminded him of Lony, and Jace was inclined to agree. “You are so loved,” he told his daughter in a soft voice. “So, so loved, Lony, you wouldn’t even believe how much. There’s a bunch of people in this house who would do anything for you and that makes you really, really lucky. You’re gonna be so happy,” Jace promised his daughter. “You’ll laugh, you’ll sing, you’ll see the wonders of the world and I’ll be right there to witness you do it. I love you so much, Apollonia Céline Herondale,” he whispered, gazing softly at her. “Welcome to the family, Lony...”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, guys. I know this isn't everyone's cup of tea and it's sort of unconventional, but I really enjoyed writing it and I hope you enjoyed reading it. I know many of you are waiting the next chapter of C&P and it's coming, but I just needed to post this first. 
> 
> See you again next time.


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